The list includes those missing for just a few days and others who haven’t been seen in decades.

“Experience has shown that about 50 per cent of missing cases are closed within the first week,’’ the BKA spokesperson said.

Armin Gartelmann, head of the missing persons unit at the Bremen police department, said: “There are people who go to hospital for a week and don’t tell anyone. Others go on vacation and don’t tell anyone.’’

According to BKA data, after a month, more than 80 per cent of cases are settled.

The share of people missing for more than a year is only around 3 per cent.